Have you ever wondered what it’s like to play the guitar?
Or how you can even start learning this wonderful instrument?
If your answer is a big “Yes!”, then, you’ve come to the right place, my friend! This is the place where you can begin to learn more about the guitar with beginner lessons you can easily follow and guitar-related articles for your reading pleasure. There’s also a page with practice songs for beginners. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to a more enjoyable life with the guitar as a companion, like me!
I made it my goal to inspire guitar beginners to study more about the guitar as a instrument of musical expression, with useful information and lessons!
Just click the links below and browse around. I’d appreciate your feedback and comments, it’s always nice to hear from the guests. Thanks for visiting and enjoy!
After I collected a list of ten easy rock songs for beginners, I thought about compiling another list of rock songs that are easy to play. This time the list would consist only of songs with 3 chords and all should be open chords, making it easier for guitar beginners to play thus adding more to their increasing repertoire of songs.
So, I scoured the internet for songs and selected some of the popular songs during the 1960’s up to the 2000’s. What really amazed me during this endeavor was how 3 simple chords were all it took for all these amazing songs to be brought to life. I also appreciated the fact that I also enjoyed listening and playing each one of these songs as I was making this list.
One more thing I noticed was that I had a little bit of hard time getting popular rock songs in the 2000’s. This only reinforced my opinion that the bulk of amazing rock songs were made in the latter part of the 20th century. Am I biased? Probably so, me being a rock fan and the 21st century music being perforated with hip-hop, R&B and pop tunes. But I did find some amazing, albeit not mainstream popular, rock bands in the 2000’s, most notably The Black Keys and Jet.
I hope that the 21st century rock music would start picking up the slack and produce more bands/musicians that would keep the rock torch burning, and dish out memorable tunes for the next generations to enjoy!
1. “Twist and Shout” – The Beatles (1964 cover) Chords Used: D, G, A
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
2. “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” – The Beatles (1965 cover) Chords Used: A, D, E
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
E (0-2-2-1-0-0)
3. “Wild Thing” – The Troggs (1966 cover of the Chip Taylor original song) Chords Used: A, D, E
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
E (0-2-2-1-0-0)
4. “Get Back” – The Beatles (1969) Chords Used: A, D, G
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
5. “All Right Now” – Free (1970) Chords Used: A, D, G
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
6. “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” – T. Rex (1971) Chords Used: E, G, A
E (0-2-2-1-0-0)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
7. “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974) Chords Used: D, C, G
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
C (x-3-2-0-1-0)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
8. TNT” – AC/DC (1975) Chords Used: E, G, A
E (0-2-2-1-0-0)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
9. “Abracadabra” – Steve Miller Band (1982) Chords Used: Am, Dm, E
Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)
Dm (x-x-0-2-3-1)
E (0-2-2-1-0-0)
10. “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” – Deep Blue Something (1994) Chords Used: D, G, A
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
11. “First Cut Is The Deepest” – Sheryl Crow (2003 cover of a Cat Stevens original) Chords Used: D, A, G
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
A (x-0-2-2-2-0)
G (3-2-0-0-0-3)
12. “Chasing Cars” – Snow Patrol (2006) Chords Used: A, D, E
We already covered the regular way of tuning the guitar on an article I posted earlier. I’m going to teach you another way that’s more fun to do the tuning process and this is using the guitar’s natural harmonics that can be found on specific nodes in the guitar fretboard. I noticed that these harmonics are more pronounced using an electric guitar. And even more so if the electric guitar is in the overdriven state, be it with the overdrive channel of the amplifier, or if you’re using the distortion mode of your multi-effects processor. However, we can also employ this tuning method on an acoustic guitar because harmonics are always there, if done correctly, regardless of the guitar type.
What’s really amusing about it is how the average listener can be easily impressed with this method of tuning. Heck, when I first heard my friend tune this way, it made such an impact on me that I wanted to learn how to do it immediately! And when I did learn how do tune this way, not only did I discover that it was so easy, I also found that using this method also has a way to determine if two strings are not in tune, if you hear a warble effect.
In my own words, this warble effect is a somewhat chirping sound that you will hear if the two strings you are tuning are not in tune with each other. However, if the said two strings are in tune, there is no warbling effect. Instead all we will hear is a harmonious unison of that particular note! This is what we want to hear when tuning the guitar with this method.
TUNING LOW “E” STRING (#6 STRING)
As we covered in the previous article on guitar tuning, we need to find a reference note for the low E string. I also mentioned the different sources for this reference note.
TUNING “A” STRING (#5 STRING)
Once we have established the low E string (#6 string), we can now proceed to the #5 string or the A string. Touch the #6 string just on top of the 5th fret. No need to push the string to the fret. Just touch the string lightly. When you pluck the string, you will hear a chime-like sound. This is the harmonic we’re looking for in the #6 string. Then, again touch the #5th string lightly just right above the 7th fret and pluck the string.
TUNING “D” STRING (#4 STRING)
Just above the 5th fret, lightly touch the #5 string and then pluck the string. While the harmonic is still sounding , lightly touch the #4 string just above the 7th fret, and then pluck it.
TUNING “G” STRING (#3 STRING)
Just above the 5th fret, lightly touch the #4 string and then pluck the string. While the harmonic is still sounding , lightly touch the #3 string just above the 7th fret, and then pluck it.
TUNING “B” STRING (#2 STRING)
We will not be using harmonics for tuning the B string because the reference note on the #3 string is taken from the 4th fret, unlike in the others which uses the 5th fret as reference point. Therefore, for the B string we will utilize the normal way of tuning which is by pressing the #3 string on the 4th fret, just as I describe in the regular way of tuning the guitar.
TUNING HIGH “E” STRING (#1 STRING)
Just above the 5th fret, lightly touch the #2 string and then pluck the string. While the harmonic is still sounding , lightly touch the #1 string just above the 7th fret, and then pluck it.
Any of the two harmonic notes played for the strings being tuned should sound the same and in tune. Otherwise, you will hear a warbling sound as mentioned earlier. This is what makes it my preferred tuning method. The sound is the indication that the strings are not in tune with each other, hence making it easier to know. This is especially helpful for those beginners who still have a bit of difficulty in distinguishing if strings are tuned or not.
We already discussed the 5 major open chords in a previous post, but now we’ll take even further. I’ll be showing 3 more open chords that are very common and very easy to play!
Together with the 5 open chords, you can play lots of songs with different combinations of these chords.
1. A minor chord: Chord chart: How the A minor chord is formed on a guitar:
First step is to place your index finger on the #2 string by the first fret, then place your middle finger on the #4 string by the 2nd fret and place your ring finger on the #3 string by the 2nd fret. Strum from the #5 string down to the #1 string. Remember to refrain from hitting or strumming the #6 string and let the open strings ring.
2. D minor chord: Chord chart: How the D minor chord is formed on a guitar:
First step is to place your index finger on the #1 string by the 1st fret, then place your middle finger on the #3 string by the 2nd fret and your ring finger on the #2 string by the 3rd fret. Then, strum from the #4 string down to the #1 string. This time, both the #5 and #6 strings should not be played or strummed.
3. E minor chord: Chord chart: How the E minor chord is formed on a guitar:
To form the open E minor chord, first place your index finger on the #5 string by the 2nd fret, then place your middle finger on the #4 string by the 2nd fret. Unlike to the previous chords A minor and D minor, the all 6 strings should be strummed to play the E minor chord, from the #6 string down to the #1 string.
We have now discussed a total of 8 easy open chords, including the 5 essential open chords we have previously discussed. All of these open chords are used in the list I made consisting of easy rock songs for beginners. Also try reviewing the basic strumming exercises, which can be executed together with any combination of the 8 open chords.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to the energy of rock music. My mind-opening moment was during my growing years when my uncle would blast their cassette stereo with strains from The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” tape. This was in the early 1980’s by the way and I wasn’t even 10 years old then. I became amazed, when I thought about it years later, how a 1967 Beatles album would still sound good, even after decades have passed.
That’s when I learned about other groups whose musical outputs eventually transcended time and still reached their listeners on a different level. This quality and talent separate the ordinary bands from the great ones. But ultimately it’s still a matter of taste. Everybody has their own list of favorites and here’s mine!
———————————————————————————————————————- 10. BOSTON
“The arena rock group behind one of the fastest-selling debut albums in history, Boston was essentially the vehicle of studio wizard Tom Scholz, born March 10, 1947, in Toledo, OH. A rock fan throughout his teen years, he began writing songs while earning a master’s degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduation, he began work for Polaroid, and set about constructing his own 12-track recording studio in the basement of his home, where demos were recorded that earned Scholz and vocalist Brad Delp a contract with Epic in 1975. Although some recording and overdubs were later done in Los Angeles, the 1976 release of Boston consisted largely of tapes recorded in Scholz’s basement. (By then, the lineup had coalesced around Scholz, Delp, guitarist Barry Goudreau, bassist Fran Sheehan, and drummer John “Sib” Hashian.) Boston spawned three hit singles (“More Than a Feeling,” “Long Time,” and “Peace of Mind”), and shot immediately to the top of the charts, remaining the best-selling pop debut effort in history before it was supplanted by Whitney Houston’s first album in 1986.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
Once only known for the smash hit “More Than A Feeling”, I’ve came to know Boston as more than a one-hit wonder. In fact, all songs in their debut album “Boston” in 1976 were potential hits. Apparently, Tom Scholz, lead guitarist and band leader, made sure of that. Their sophomore effort “Don’t Look Back” was likewise as stimulating and melody-driven as the first one. Recent efforts however were not satisfying enough for me. The death of Brad Delp in 2007 slammed the door for a reunion of the original lineup which produced the band’s trademark sound.
———————————————————————————————————————- 9. THE EAGLES
“With five number one singles, fourteen Top 40 hits, and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of those albums — Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) and Hotel California — ranked among the ten best-selling albums ever, and the popularity of 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden proved the Eagles’ staying power in the new millenium. Though most of its members came from outside California, the group was closely identified with a country- and folk-tinged sound that initially found favor in Los Angeles during the late ’60s, as championed by such bands as the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco (both of which contributed members to the Eagles). But the band also drew upon traditional rock & roll styles and, in their later work, helped define the broadly popular rock sound that became known as classic rock. As a result, the Eagles achieved a perennial appeal among generations of music fans who continued to buy their records many years after they had split up, which helped inspire the Eagles’ reunion in the mid-’90s.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
The first song I heard from this group is “Hotel California”. The highlight of the song is the guitar solo exchange at the song’s ending! I can’t forget the way the faces of Don Felder and Joe Walsh grimace and melt while playing their hearts’ out, in concert footages. I find it both hilarious and mesmerizing at the same time. It turned out that “Hotel California” is just one of their numerous hits. These guys are tremendously talented. Their vocal harmonies are dead-on accurate and pleasing to the ears. I included an excellent example above with a 1973 live footage of these guys playing “Take It Easy”.
———————————————————————————————————————- 8. CREAM
“Cream could be viewed as the first rock supergroup to become superstars, although none of the three members were that well-known when the band formed in mid-1966. Eric Clapton had the biggest reputation, having established himself as a guitar hero first with the Yardbirds, and then in a more blues-intensive environment with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. (In the States, however, he was all but unknown, having left the Yardbirds before “For Your Love” made the American Top Ten.) Bassist/singer Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker had both been in the Graham Bond Organisation, an underrated British R&B combo that drew extensively upon the jazz backgrounds of the musicians. Bruce had also been, very briefly, a member of the Bluesbreakers along Clapton, and also briefly a member of Manfred Mann when he became especially eager to pay the rent.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
Cream was one of the first groups to exploit the “power trio” format in a band. Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce are each immensely talented with their musical instruments. Their formula was based on the blues-rock genre. Each original and cover song is boosted with the group’s collective virtuosity. Clapton’s previous work with James Mayall’s Bluesbreakers was a perfect springboard to his shot to stardom with Cream, and at the time, his breathtaking guitar skills were highly-regarded that it was immortalized in a famous “Clapton is god” graffiti.
———————————————————————————————————————- 7. VAN HALEN
“With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. It was wildly inventive and over the top, equaled only by vocalist David Lee Roth, who brought the role of a metal singer to near-performance art standards. Roth wasn’t blessed with great technique, unlike Eddie, but he had a flair for showmanship that was derived as much from lounge performers as Robert Plant. Together, they made Van Halen into the most popular American rock & roll band of the late ’70s and early ’80s, and in the process set the template for hard rock and heavy metal for the ’80s.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
One of the most innovative guitar players ever, Eddie Van Halen spearheaded this rock juggernaut with his equally talented brother, Alex. Van Halen had two different vocalists, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, that represented two different eras in the band growth over the years. Fans have been divided between the two, but I think it’s better to just accept each as a unique hue in Van Halen’s musical palette. Actually, there was a third vocalist, Gary Cherone but he was not as prominent as the other two. Van Halen recently had a reunion tour with DLR. Its success as a testament to their amazing drawing power.
———————————————————————————————————————- 6. DEEP PURPLE
“Deep Purple was formed in Hertford, England, in 1968, with an inaugural lineup that featured guitarist Blackmore, vocalist Rod Evans, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice. Initially dubbed Roundabout, the group was first assembled as a session band for ex-Searchers drummer Chris Curtis but quickly went their own way, touring Scandinavia before beginning work on their debut LP, Shades of Deep Purple. The most pop-oriented release of their career, the album generated a Top Five American hit with its reading of Joe South’s “Hush” but otherwise went unnoticed at home. The Book of Taliesyn followed (in the U.S. only) in 1969, again cracking the U.S. Top 40 with a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Kentucky Woman”. Deep Purple survived a seemingly endless series of lineup changes and a dramatic mid-career shift from grandiose progressive rock to ear-shattering heavy metal to emerge as a true institution of the British hard rock community; once credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the globe’s loudest band, their revolving-door roster launched the careers of performers including Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, and Ian Gillan.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
My favorite album from the band is the classic “Machine Head”, which produce the immortal “Smoke On The Water” and anthemic “Highway Star”. Mark II lineup of the band is widely recognized as the best to have produced classic sound of the band, most notably Ritchie Blackmore’s classical/blues combo influence in the guitar solos. Later, the group became inclined to progressive rock in later years. Deep Purple songs continue to be a staple in classic rock stations to this day.
“Formed in the late ’60s by Irish singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott, Lizzy, though not the first band to do so, combined romanticized working-class sentiments with their ferocious, twin-lead guitar attack. As the band’s creative force, Lynott was a more insightful and intelligent writer than many of his ilk, preferring slice-of-life working-class dramas of love and hate influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and virtually all of the Irish literary tradition. Also, as a black man, Lynott was an anomaly in the nearly all-white world of hard rock, and as such imbued much of his work with a sense of alienation; he was the outsider, the romantic guy from the other side of the tracks, a self-styled poet of the lovelorn and downtrodden. His sweeping vision and writerly impulses at times gave way to pretentious songs aspiring to clichéd notions of literary significance, but Lynott’s limitless charisma made even the most misguided moments worth hearing.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
The group had their first hit in 1973, with the Irish traditional song. “Whiskey In The Jar”. One of the proponents of the harmony of double lead guitars, Thin Lizzy was also the platform of enigmatic bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott for his engaging, story-telling songs. This group had, at one time, in it’s line-up one of my favorite guitarists, Gary Moore. However, the more memorable songs of the group were done with the twin guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson.
———————————————————————————————————————- 4. THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
“It was in a New York club that Hendrix was spotted by Animals bassist Chas Chandler. The first lineup of the Animals was about to split, and Chandler, looking to move into management, convinced Hendrix to move to London and record as a solo act in England. There a group was built around Jimi, also featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, that was dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The trio became stars with astonishing speed in the U.K., where “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” and “The Wind Cries Mary” all made the Top Ten in the first half of 1967. These tracks were also featured on their debut album, Are You Experienced?, a psychedelic meisterwerk that became a huge hit in the U.S. after Hendrix created a sensation at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
The lineup of Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell followed, perhaps unintentionally, the power trio format initiated by Cream with just the basic guitar, bass and drums composition. As exceeding flamboyant and talented Hendrix was, Redding and Mitchell were not to be outdone and confidently held their own amidst the tumultuous performances conjured by the master guitarist. This collaboration produced the most of Hendrix’ classic hits such as “Purple Haze”, “Hey Joe”, “The Wind Cries Mary” and “All Along The Watchtower”.
———————————————————————————————————————- 3. AC/DC
“AC/DC’s mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the ’70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early ’70s. AC/DC’s rock was minimalist — no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with Bon Scott’s larynx-shredding vocals, the band spawned countless imitators over the next two decades and enjoyed commercial success well into the 2000s. AC/DC were formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his previous band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young’s band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus serving as lead guitarist, the band played some gigs around Sydney. Angus was only 15 years old at the time and his sister suggested that he should wear his school uniform on-stage; the look became the band’s visual trademark. While still in Sydney, the original lineup featuring singer Dave Evans cut a single called “Can I Sit Next to You,” with ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young (Malcolm and Angus’ older brother) producing.”
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
I was exposed initially to AC/DC’s music during the Brian Johnson era, the “Back In Black” album specifically. The band had enjoyed considerable success during Bon Scott’s tenure, but gained even wider recognition after his untimely death. Some critics may dismiss AC/DC music as repetitive. For me however, it represents rock and roll at its raunchiest, complemented with a generous amount of rebellious attitude by guitar god Angus Young. The band is still going strong through the decades and recently released their 15th international album, the highly successful “Black Ice”.
———————————————————————————————————————- 2. THE BEATLES
“So much has been said and written about the Beatles — and their story is so mythic in its sweep — that it’s difficult to summarize their career without restating clichés that have already been digested by tens of millions of rock fans. To start with the obvious, they were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century. Moreover, they were among the few artists of any discipline that were simultaneously the best at what they did and the most popular at what they did. Relentlessly imaginative and experimental, the Beatles grabbed a hold of the international mass consciousness in 1964 and never let go for the next six years, always staying ahead of the pack in terms of creativity but never losing their ability to communicate their increasingly sophisticated ideas to a mass audience. Their supremacy as rock icons remains unchallenged to this day, decades after their breakup in 1970. “
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
One can’t find any other band that’s more influential than the Fab Four. Although their longevity as a band (they were active from 1962 to 1970 only) wasn’t that much compared to other veteran bands whose careers spanned decades, the impact of their work is irrefutable. The bulk of material came from the potent songwriting tandem of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who produced multiple hit songs over the years. Even after the group disbanded in 1970, appreciation for their music has continued.
———————————————————————————————————————- 1. QUEEN
“Few bands embodied the pure excess of the ’70s like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of prog rock and heavy metal, as well as vaudevillian music hall, the British quartet delved deeply into camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen’s music was a bizarre yet highly accessible fusion of the macho and the fey. For years, their albums boasted the motto “no synthesizers were used on this record,” signaling their allegiance with the legions of post-Led Zeppelin hard rock bands. But vocalist Freddie Mercury brought an extravagant sense of camp to the band, pushing them toward kitschy humor and pseudo-classical arrangements, as epitomized on their best-known song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Mercury, it must be said, was a flamboyant bisexual who managed to keep his sexuality in the closet until his death from AIDS in 1991. Nevertheless, his sexuality was apparent throughout Queen’s music, from their very name to their veiled lyrics — it was truly bizarre to hear gay anthems like “We Are the Champions” turn into celebrations of sports victories. “
(courtesy of Allmusic.com)
Brian May is the guy who inspired me to play lead guitar. When I first heard Bohemian Rhapsody, I’ve been hooked since. But this group isn’t just about May. From its inception 1970 until Freddie Mercury’s untimely demise in 1991, this four-piece of superbly talented individuals constantly provided the music world with strings of hits. They refused to have their music to be tied down to a specific genre, instead released diverse tunes that defy categorization. The huge turnout in the “Freddie Mercury Tribute” concert in 1992 is a proof of how much the tragic loss of Mercury affected their fans.
———————————————————————————————————————-
There you go! That’s MY top 10 classic rock bands… I bet you got yours too!
After learning all about the basic open chords in my previous post, we can now proceed to the basic guitar strumming exercises. Actually, learning the chords isn’t enough, because it’s just getting half of the job done. Once the chords are formed , it wouldn’t sound right without the other hand strumming the strings in an organized manner and in the proper timing.
Before we proceed, it’s important to know that we will be strumming the guitar in a 4/4 time signature. 4/4 is the time signature that signifies there are 4 counts (or beats) in a bar (or measure). As you may already be aware, a very huge percentage of popular songs in existence are using this meter. If you pick any song on top of your head right now, I bet it’s going to be a song in 4/4 time signature! 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. That’s how it rolls.
Now, we’ll be incorporating that 4-count measure with our strumming lesson. Let’s take an open chord to strum with, say, the E Major chord. Make a 4-count (1-2-3-4-) verbally out loud (hey don’t shout) or by tapping your feet to the beat. Then strum down from the #6 string of your guitar all the way down, once in every count. Note these are all downstrokes. For now, just refrain from strumming the string in the upstroke, or when your strumming hand is going up. Here is the pattern:
Practice Tips:– You can strum either from your elbow or your wrist. But for this exercise, use your elbow.
– Try repeating this pattern until the motion becomes steady and consistent.
– Make sure the chord you’re playing (in this case, the E Major chord) will sound properly, with the fretted and open strings ringing clearly.
– Arch your fingers when forming the chord and carefully avoid muting the adjacent strings.
– Just continue with the pattern a few more times to get accustomed to the motion of strumming down strokes, all the while keep counting 1-2-3-4.
– Try to strum each stroke with even intervals.
– Try slowly at first, then try strumming with a faster tempo. Better yet get a metronome in order to practice this exercise at the sound of a steady click.
We’ll continue with another strumming exercise for you to practice with.
This time, we’ll include the upstrokes. Let us continue using the E Major chord and we will still be employing a 4-count measure. However, we will add the upstroke after each downstroke. This will be represented by “and” or the symbol “&” in the strumming pattern, therefore your counting will now be “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-“, etc, putting emphasis on the count. The guide below illustrates this exercise precisely:
Try to do the same practice tips previously mentioned for Strumming Exercise #1.
We now have two strumming exercises to keep you busy! But we’re going to add another one and this will get to start playing songs, if you hadn’t already done so.
In this exercise, we will use what we learned with Strumming Exercise #2: strumming with the upstrokes. However, in some of the strokes we will refrain from hitting the strings. I would depict this in the guide below by leaving the space blank in the stroke where we are NOT supposed to hit the strings:
Again, try to do the same practice tips previously mentioned for Strumming Exercise #1.
As we can see from the guide, we are skipping the strings on two strokes: the upstroke of the 1st beat and the downstroke of the 3rd beat. Please remember to still maintain the up and down motion just like Strumming Exercise #2 even though you are not hitting the strings on the aforementioned strokes.
So just keep practicing these three strumming exercises. It would be enough to keep you busy for a while. Try to incorporate what you learned here with some of the easy song suggestions I listed.
After learning all about the 
Guitar Lessons For Beginners! 